Relay ring circuit



April 1, 1952 R. K. MCALPINE ,9mm/6K K Mmm/N5 TTU/@VET Patented Apr. 1, 1952 PATENT: oFF-ICE;

RELAY #RING CIRCUIT Rodericlgpli; Mjcnlpine, United StatesArmm. v

' l Arlingtomva.

`ApplicationApril54,1945, Serial No. 58.6;61131.

solaires,... (c1. 17a-,320);

TheV invention described herein may be manuiacijfuredandA used luy-or forpthe Government-fior teneramente; purposes. ,without the payment tofv pulse or acontinuous signaLbefapplied thereto.

Anothenobject is to providein a ringcircuit novel means for providing Aautorvnatic consecutive releaseio ,the relays.

fur-ther Iobject is to provide'a relayring-:circuitywh'erei'nrbutA one relay is required for each lstagg: of the ring.

Additiopna'l4 objects will; be y,apparenti from `a readingoffthe following specification and-claims.

The single drawing is a diagram of a three'- stage relay ring according to my invention. The ring is shown as a timingdevice or counter in order tol lsimplify the drawing and description. For switching purposes, any desired number of additional contacts may be associated with one or more ofthe ring stages. i

It is believed that no elaborate description of the circuit will be necessary as its features will be apparent from the drawing and from the description of the operation of the ring.

With reference to the drawing, the ring circuit can be seen to comprise three windings. I0, II, and I2, each with a plurality of contacts operated thereby. It should be understood that only those contacts vertically aligned (in the drawing) with a magnet are operated thereby, and that of these only those shown without arrowheads are electromagnetically moved; certain others may be mechanically moved, as 20, under the influence of 28 to break an alreadymade Contact, as with I9.' It should be further understood that this description assumes that Aan energized winding attracts all of its movable contacts so that they are drawn toward the magnet, and that upon deenergization all movable contacts return to the positions shown.

operates; -it is lockedclosed through-a circuitifrom; ground at 25, through contacts 2li-121, and- 28-2Ufand winding |01 The-pulling up of `con-1y tact 28 `first-makes the locking circuit=for wind-1 ingv v'IIJrand-then breaks pulse circuitk 'at contacts I9and20:

Controlpulses, as distinguishedy fromv start pulses, are'fed into the ringgfrom ground-rat; 29`;'4 any". desired switching' means1can-be Vused-for-V l determining the-lengthfand spacing" of the' con;v

trol'pulses. 1 A manually operable switchy-ZS-ffis shownr;

Assuming switch-1-29'` toA be closed; the Viirstcontrolpulse follows a circuitgfrom-ground at- `1 29 through 'contacts vr31H13 I; :V32-#33 (the'latter being closed due tothe energizationofwinding I 0 )5; 3ft-35j winding I I battery 36,` Vand vground at ,31.V`v The energization` of Awinding I I closes contact -38 upon contact 2'I`,` opening theoriginal locking circuitfor winding IIJ; and-transferring this locking function to the rstcontrol pulse.l through line .39 and contacts 3 8421 sothat.` windingl will'be cle-,energized upon the-:ex-4v piration of the first control pulse. Winding II is locked up just as was I0, through a circuit which includes contacts 35-40 and 4I-42 and ground at 43.

The second control pulse energizes winding I2 through a circuit which includes contacts 50-5I land 52-53 (the latter closed by winding II) and contacts 54-55. yThe energization of this winding transfers the locking circuit of winding II to the second pulse through contacts 56-51, so that winding I I opens at the expiration of the pulse.

The third control pulse traverses a circuit which includes contacts 60--6I and 62-63 (closed by winding I2), line 62, and contacts I9 and 20, and thereby energizes winding l0 to reenter upon the cycle of events above described.

The operation may continue for as long as desired. Each control pulse, it will be understood, serves first to energize the winding of a relay and secondly, to take over the control of the locking circuit of the preceding relay of the ring so that upon expiration of the pulse the preceding relay will be de-energized.

The foregoing description is in specific terms. It will be understood, however, that many modifications are possible within the spirit of the invention for the true scope of which, therefore, reference should be had to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ring circuit including a plurality of relays each having an operated condition and an unoperated condition, means for supplying energy to operate said relays, a closed circuit between an energy supplying means and one of said relays causing said one relay to assume its operated condition, means depending upon the operation of said one relay for first making a rlocking circuit therefor and second for breaking said closed circuit, another circuit between an energy supply means and another relay closed by the operation of said first mentioned relay to operate said other relay rst to complete an additional locking crcuit depending upon energy from said energy supply means for said rst mentioned relay and to make a locking circuit for said other relay 4and then to open said other closed circuit.

2. A ring circuit including a plurality of switching devices each having an operated condition and an unoperated condition, means for supplying energy to operate said switching devices, a closed circuit between an energy supplying means and one of said switching devices causing said one device to assume its operated condition, means depending upon the operation of said one switching device for first making a locking circuit therefor and second for breaking said closed circuit, another circuit between an energy supply means and another switching device closed by the operation of said iirs`t mentioned switching device to operate said other switching device rst to complete an additional locking circuit depending upon energy from said energy means for said rst mentioned switching device and to make a locking circuit for said other switching device and then to open said other closed circuit.

. 3. A ring circuit including a plurality of relays each having an operated condition. and an unoperated condition, means for supplying electrical pulses, means rior delivering a .pulse to one relay to operate and look the same, means depending upon. said operated relay for closing a circuit between a pulse supply means and another relay whereby a pulse may operate said other relay thereby to make lanother locking circuit for said onerelay and to break said operating circuit, and

a. further circuit between a pulse supplying means and a further relay closed by the operation of said other relay whereby another pulse may operate said further relay thereby rst to complete an additional locking circuit depending upon said other pulse for said other relay and a locking circuit for said further relay and then to 'open said other closed circuit.

4. A ring circuit including a plurality of relays each having an operated condition and an unoperated condition, means for supplying energy to operate said relays, fa circuit closed in operation between an energy supplying means and one of said relays, means depending upon the operation of said one relay rst for making a locking circuit between the same and a source of locking energy and second for breaking said closed circuit, another circuit closed by said one relay between an energy supplying means and another relay to operate the same thereby first to complete an additional locking circuit depending upon said `energy supplying means for said first mentioned relay and to make a locking circuit between a source of locking energy and said other relay and then to open said other closed circuit.

RODERICK K. MCALPINIEJ.y

REFERENCES CITED The 4following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Stevens Feb. 25, 1947 

